Connecticut Permit Practice Test

How to use this CT practice test

1. Take the 25 question exam-length practice test above once, untimed, to find your weak topics.
2. Work through the numbered 20 question sets below. Each one is fixed, so a second attempt is a fair comparison.
3. Read the explanation on every miss. The wording comes from the Connecticut Driver's Manual, which is what the examiners use.
4. Come back on a later day and retake the questions you missed. A score on questions you have not seen before tells you more than a repeat.

CT practice tests, 20 questions each

Fixed sets in a fixed order so you can retake one and compare your score.

1. Test 1
2. Test 2
3. Test 3
4. Test 4
5. Test 5
6. Test 6
7. Test 7
8. Test 8
9. Test 9
10. Test 10
11. Test 11
12. Test 12
13. Test 13
14. Test 14
15. Test 15
16. Test 16
17. Test 17
18. Test 18
19. Test 19
20. Test 20
21. Test 21
22. Test 22
23. Test 23
24. Test 24
25. Test 25

Printable CT practice test with answer key

25 sample practice questions from the CT bank

Every question below comes from the Connecticut question bank on this page. Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation. Nothing here is hidden behind a signup.

1. 1. Why should a driver leave a space cushion behind the vehicle ahead?

   1. To create time and room to react if traffic changes
   2. To prevent every other driver from merging
   3. To make the vehicle ahead travel faster
   4. To avoid using the mirrors while following
   Show answer

   To create time and room to react if traffic changes. A space cushion gives the driver a margin when the vehicle ahead brakes, changes lanes, or encounters a hazard. Full explanation in Test 1

   Study this in the handbook: Motorcycles, Trucks and Slow Vehicles

2. 2. Under Connecticut's Move Over Law, what must drivers do when any vehicle is pulled over on a highway or road?

   1. Maintain the posted speed and stay in the same lane
   2. Move onto the shoulder without reducing speed
   3. Stop in the travel lane until the vehicle leaves
   4. Slow below the posted speed limit and move over one lane when safe
   Show answer

   Slow below the posted speed limit and move over one lane when safe. The Move Over Law applies when any vehicle is pulled over on a highway or road. Full explanation in Test 2

   Study this in the handbook: Emergency Vehicles, Move Over and School Buses

3. 3. When may you continue past a school bus with flashing red lights traveling toward you?

   1. When you are within 100 feet of the bus
   2. Whenever the opposite lane is clear
   3. When a median or other physical barrier separates the roadways
   4. Only when the bus driver waves you through
   Show answer

   When a median or other physical barrier separates the roadways. The school-bus stopping duty has a narrow exception. Full explanation in Test 3

   Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections

4. 4. During which period does the Connecticut manual allow studded tires?

   1. November 15 through April 30
   2. October 1 through February 28
   3. January 1 through March 1
   4. They are never allowed in Connecticut
   Show answer

   November 15 through April 30. Connecticut permits studded tires from November 15 through April 30. Full explanation in Test 4

   Study this in the handbook: Slippery Roads, Hydroplaning and Curves

5. 5. What condition does a STOP AHEAD sign warn you to expect?

   
   1. The current stop sign has ended
   2. A stop sign is ahead, so slow down and prepare to stop
   3. Stopping is prohibited until the next signal
   4. A railroad gate will stop traffic immediately
   Show answer

   A stop sign is ahead, so slow down and prepare to stop. STOP AHEAD gives advance notice that a stop sign is coming. Full explanation in Test 5

   Study this in the handbook: Warning, School and Guide Signs

6. 6. How long does a Connecticut vehicle owner have to fix an emissions failure?

   1. 60 days to repair and have the emissions rechecked
   2. One year
   3. There is no deadline
   4. 10 days
   Show answer

   60 days to repair and have the emissions rechecked. A Connecticut vehicle may be required to have an emissions inspection at an authorized station, and if the vehicle does not pass you are giv Full explanation in Test 6

7. 7. On a one-way street, what does the black-and-white arrow sign require?

   
   1. Travel only in the arrow's direction
   2. Turn toward the nearest side street
   3. Reserve the lane for buses
   4. Reverse direction at the next driveway
   Show answer

   Travel only in the arrow's direction. A ONE WAY sign controls the direction of travel on a one-way street or driveway. Full explanation in Test 7

   Study this in the handbook: Sign Shapes and Regulatory Signs

8. 8. How does stopping distance at 60 mph compare with 30 mph, according to the Connecticut manual?

   1. Over three times the distance, not twice
   2. Exactly twice
   3. About the same
   4. Half the distance
   Show answer

   Over three times the distance, not twice. Stopping at 60 mph does not take twice the distance it takes at 30 mph, as one might think, but over three times the distance. Full explanation in Test 8

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic Lights, Arrows and HAWK Signals

9. 9. What roadway arrangement follows a DIVIDED HIGHWAY BEGINS sign?

   
   1. U-turns are required at the median
   2. All traffic will share one undivided lane
   3. A median or divider splits the highway into two one-way roadways
   4. The road becomes a four-way intersection
   Show answer

   A median or divider splits the highway into two one-way roadways. DIVIDED HIGHWAY BEGINS announces that a median or divider will separate the highway into two roadways, with each roadway carrying one-way tr Full explanation in Test 9

10. 10. Before entering a roundabout, to whom must an entering driver yield?

    
    1. No one when entering from the right
    2. Only traffic approaching from the left
    3. Vehicles waiting behind the entrance
    4. Traffic already circulating in the roundabout
    Show answer

    Traffic already circulating in the roundabout. Entering traffic yields to vehicles already circulating in the roundabout. Full explanation in Test 10

    Study this in the handbook: Roundabouts, Traffic Circles and U-Turns

11. 11. A tractor-trailer combo passes your Connecticut exit slowly. How much road might passing it consume?

    1. About one car length beyond
    2. About 200 feet of clear road beyond the truck
    3. 65 feet long; over half a mile to pass
    4. Exactly one city block total
    Show answer

    65 feet long; over half a mile to pass. A truck and its tow can stretch sixty-five feet, and clearing it safely may take more than half a mile of open road. Full explanation in Test 11

    Study this in the handbook: Motorcycles, Trucks and Slow Vehicles

12. 12. Solid yellow paint runs on your side beside a broken line on the far side in Connecticut. Who may pass?

    1. Your side, since paint is fresh
    2. Neither side under any rule
    3. Both sides at reduced speed
    4. Traffic beside the broken line, when safe
    Show answer

    Traffic beside the broken line, when safe. With paired solid and broken yellow lines, permission follows the broken side. Full explanation in Test 12

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement Markings and Special Lanes

13. 13. What rule covers drinking while taking other drugs?

    1. One drink is safe with any medicine
    2. Never drink alcohol while taking other drugs
    3. Drinking cuts the strength of most medicines down by half
    4. Only sleeping pills react with alcohol
    Show answer

    Never drink alcohol while taking other drugs. Alcohol combined with other drugs can multiply the drinking effect or add new effects of its own, cutting driving ability and risking seriou Full explanation in Test 13

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, Testing and DUI Suspensions

14. 14. When may you open a vehicle door toward the street in Connecticut?

    1. Whenever cross traffic is more than about a block away and moving slowly
    2. Only when the swing path is clear of people, bikes, and traffic
    3. After honking once so people nearby move out of the way
    4. Any time the vehicle is fully stopped at the curb line
    Show answer

    Only when the swing path is clear of people, bikes, and traffic. An opening door swings into space that a pedestrian, a bicyclist, or a passing vehicle may already be using. Full explanation in Test 14

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, Bicyclists and Horses

15. 15. You follow a hazmat truck toward a Connecticut rail crossing. Why leave it extra room?

    1. Its paint reflects poorly at night
    2. Its load shifts your lane position
    3. Trains give trucks extra warning
    4. They must stop there; room avoids a hit
    Show answer

    They must stop there; room avoids a hit. Transit buses, school buses, and hazardous materials vehicles must stop at railroad crossings, sometimes where followers expect flowing traf Full explanation in Test 15

    Study this in the handbook: Space Cushion and Following Distance

16. 16. Traffic crawls through a Connecticut intersection ahead with no room beyond it. May you enter on green?

    1. Yes; a green light always allows entry
    2. Yes, during rush hour only
    3. Yes, if you hug the car ahead
    4. Only once you can clear it fully
    Show answer

    Only once you can clear it fully. An intersection may be entered only when the vehicle can pass completely through without stopping inside. Full explanation in Test 16

    Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections

17. 17. How does alcohol change what a driver can do?

    1. It speeds up reflexes but weakens the sense of smell
    2. It slows reflexes and cuts alertness and clear vision
    3. It dulls memory of addresses but leaves vision intact
    4. It affects only the feel of the pedals under your feet
    Show answer

    It slows reflexes and cuts alertness and clear vision. Alcohol travels from the stomach into the blood and then to the brain, where judgment and skill are controlled. Full explanation in Test 17

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, Testing and DUI Suspensions

18. 18. At fifty-five a Connecticut pass needs what total clear roadway, roughly?

    1. About 800 feet end to end
    2. Exactly one half mile of clear road in every case
    3. About 600 feet at most
    4. Over 1,600 feet, a third of a mile
    Show answer

    Over 1,600 feet, a third of a mile. Your vehicle covers over eight hundred feet during a ten-second pass at fifty-five, and an oncoming vehicle covers a like distance toward yo Full explanation in Test 18

    Study this in the handbook: Changing Lanes and Passing

19. 19. You stopped for the ice cream truck, and its arms are still out in Connecticut. How may you pass it?

    1. At the normal street limit
    2. Up to 5 mph, yielding to crossing walkers
    3. At fifteen if the road is empty
    4. Without yielding once stopped once
    Show answer

    Up to 5 mph, yielding to crossing walkers. After the mandatory stop ten feet from the truck, you may proceed past at a reasonable speed no higher than five miles per hour, yielding to Full explanation in Test 19

    Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections

20. 20. The temperature hovers near freezing and the ice looks wet. How slippery is it?

    1. More slippery than ice at colder temperatures
    2. Less slippery than ice at temperatures well below freezing
    3. About the same as dry winter pavement
    4. Safe at normal posted speeds
    Show answer

    More slippery than ice at colder temperatures. Ice near the freezing point grows a wet film that lubricates the surface, making it slicker than ice at temperatures well below freezing. Full explanation in Test 20

    Study this in the handbook: Slippery Roads, Hydroplaning and Curves

21. 21. On dry pavement with good tires and brakes, how far to stop from 30 mph?

    1. About 100 feet in total
    2. About 300 feet in total
    3. About 200 feet in total
    4. About 400 feet in total
    Show answer

    About 200 feet in total. Seeing a hazard, reacting, and braking consume far more road than most drivers guess. Full explanation in Test 21

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic Lights, Arrows and HAWK Signals

22. 22. Driving far slower than surrounding traffic can cause what problem?

    1. Nothing, slow driving is always safer
    2. Vehicles bunch up behind you and pass more
    3. Fuel use rises in every vehicle stuck behind you
    4. Police must escort you off the road
    Show answer

    Vehicles bunch up behind you and pass more. A much slower vehicle collects a queue behind it, and frustrated drivers begin passing in riskier places. Full explanation in Test 22

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic Lights, Arrows and HAWK Signals

23. 23. Two cars arrive together at a Connecticut corner with no signs or signals. Yours is on the left. Who proceeds first?

    1. You, after a quick honk
    2. The vehicle coming from your right
    3. Whoever drives the smaller car
    4. Whoever entered the road first today
    Show answer

    The vehicle coming from your right. Uncontrolled intersections award the move to the vehicle on the right. Full explanation in Test 23

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic Lights, Arrows and HAWK Signals

24. 24. You pulled over for a passing fire truck in Connecticut and it just went by. When may you move?

    1. Immediately behind the truck
    2. After it passes, unless told to stay
    3. After counting to thirty slowly
    4. When the siren fades fully out of earshot
    Show answer

    After it passes, unless told to stay. The hold ends when the emergency vehicle has passed, unless a state or local officer directs you to stay longer. Full explanation in Test 24

    Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections

25. 25. You clip an empty parked car in a Connecticut lot and the owner is nowhere around. What must you leave?

    1. Visible note with date, time, contact
    2. Only your first name on paper
    3. A note only if damage is visible
    4. Nothing, if your car is drivable
    Show answer

    Visible note with date, time, contact. Hitting a parked vehicle obliges you to find the owner, and failing that, to leave a note where it can be seen carrying the date, the time, Full explanation in Test 25

    Study this in the handbook: Avoiding Collisions and After a Crash